§ 165.T05-1069 Safety Zone; Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion Project, Hampton/Norfolk, VA.
(a) Definitions. As used in this section, designated representative means a Coast Guard Patrol Commander, including a Coast Guard coxswain, petty officer, or other officer operating a Coast Guard vessel and a Federal, State, and local officer designated by or assisting the Captain of the Port, Sector Virginia (COTP) in the enforcement of the safety zone. The term also includes an employee or contractor of Hampton Roads Connector Partners (HRCP) for the sole purposes of designating and establishing safe transit corridors, to permit passage into or through these safety zones, or to notify vessels and individuals that they have entered a safety zone and are required to leave.
(b) Locations and zone-specific requirements—(1) Zone 1, Hampton Flats Mooring Area—(i) Location. All waters of the Hampton Flats, from surface to bottom, encompassed by a line connecting the following points beginning at 36°59′40.41″ N, 76°22′10.66″ W, thence to 37°00′01.84″ N, 76°21′01.69″ W, thence to 36°59′52.62″ N, 76°20′57.23″ W, thence to 36°59′31.19″ N, 76°22′06.20″ W, and back to the beginning point.
(ii) Requirements. No vessel or person may enter or remain in the safety zone without permission of the COTP, HRCP, or designated representative. Mariners must observe lighted marker buoys along the perimeter and at each of the corners marking the safety zone.
(2) Zone 2, Phoebus Safe Harbor Area—(i) Location. All waters west of the Phoebus Channel, from surface to bottom, encompassed by a line connecting the following points beginning at 37°00′34.26″ N, 76°19′10.58″ W, thence to 37°00′23.97″ N, 76°19′06.16″ W, thence to 37°00′22.52″ N, 76°19′11.41″ W, thence to 37°00′32.81″ N, 76°19′15.81″ W, and back to the beginning point.
(ii) Requirements. No vessel or person may enter or remain in the safety zone during announced enforcement periods without permission of the COTP, HRCP, or designated representative. Such enforcement periods will be announced by Sector Virginia Broadcast Notice to Mariners and broadcasts on VHF-FM radio. During enforcement periods, mariners shall observe lighted marker buoys along the perimeter and at each of the corners marking the safety zone.
(3) Zone 3, Willoughby Bay Mooring Area—(i) Location. All waters of Willoughby Bay, from surface to bottom, in the area encompassed by a line connecting the following points beginning at 36°57′48.68″ N, 76°17′08.20″ W, thence to 36°57′44.84″ N, 76°16′44.48″ W, thence to 36°57′35.31″ N, 76°16′42.80″ W, thence to 36°57′28.78″ N, 76°16′51.75″ W, thence to 36°57′33.17″ N, 76°17′19.43″ W, and back to the beginning point.
(ii) Requirements. No vessel or person may enter or remain in the safety zone without permission of the COTP, HRCP, or designated representative. Mariners must observe lighted marker buoys along the perimeter and at each of the corners marking the safety zone.
(4) Zone 4, North Highway Bridge Trestle and North Island—(i) Location. All waters, from surface to bottom, located within 300 feet of the east or west side of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel's north highway bridge trestle, including North Island, to the shore of the City of Hampton. No vessel or person may enter or remain in the safety zone without permission of the COTP, HRCP, or designated representative.
(ii) Requirements. All mariners attempting to enter or depart the Hampton Creek Approach Channel or the Phoebus Channel in the vicinity of the North Island must proceed with extreme caution and maintain a safe distance from construction equipment.
(5) Zone 5, South Highway Bridge Trestle and South Island—(i) Location. All waters, from surface to bottom, located within 300 feet from the east or west side of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel's south highway bridge trestle, including South Island, to the shore of the City of Norfolk.
(ii) Requirements. No vessel or person may enter or remain in the safety zone without permission of the COTP, HRCP, or designated representative. HRCP may establish and post visual identification of safe transit corridors that vessels may use to freely proceed through the safety zone. All mariners attempting to enter or depart the Willoughby Bay Approach Channel in the vicinity of the South Island shall proceed with extreme caution and maintain a safe distance from construction equipment.
(6) Zone 6, Willoughby Bay Bridge—(i) Location. All waters, from surface to bottom, located along the Willoughby Bay Bridge highway trestle and extending 50 feet to the north side of the bridge and 300 feet to the south side of the bridge along the length of the highway trestle, from shore to shore within the City of Norfolk.
(ii) Requirements. No vessel or person may enter or remain in the safety zone without permission of the COTP, HRCP, or designated representative, except that vessels are allowed to transit through marked safe transit corridors that HRCP shall establish for the purpose of providing navigation access for residents located north of the Willoughby Bay Bridge through the safety zone. All mariners attempting to enter or depart residences or commercial facilities north of the Willoughby Bay Bridge through the safe transit corridors or other areas of the safety zone when granted permission shall proceed with caution and maintain a safe distance from construction equipment.
(c) General requirements. (1) Under the general safety zone regulations in subpart C of this part, no vessel or person may enter or remain in any safety zone described in paragraph (b) of this section unless authorized by the COTP, HRCP, or designated representative. If a vessel or person is notified by the COTP, HRCP, or designated representative that they have entered one of these safety zones without permission, they are required to immediately leave in a safe manner following the directions given.
(2) Mariners requesting to transit any of these safety zones must first contact the HRCP designated representative, the on-site foreman, via phone at 7577036060 or VHF-FM channels 13 and 16. If permission is granted, mariners must proceed at their own risk and strictly observe any and all instructions provided by the COTP, HRCP, or designated representative to the mariner regarding the conditions of entry to and exit from any location within the fixed safety zones.
(d) Enforcement. The Sector Virginia COTP may enforce the regulations in this section and may be assisted by any Federal, state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency.
(e) Enforcement period. The safety zones in this section will be in effect from December 25, 2025 until December 20, 2030. If the Captain of the Port, Sector Virgina determines this rule, or any of the safety zones established by this rule are no longer necessary, we will provide notice by marine broadcasts and local notice to mariners that the rule, or individual safety zones established by the rule, are no longer subject to enforcement.
[USCG-2025-1069, 90 FR 61309, Dec. 31, 2025]
Effective Date Note:
Effective Date Note:By USCG-2025-1069, 90 FR 61309, Dec. 31, 2025, § 165.T05-1069 was added, effective Dec. 31, 2025, through Dec. 20, 2030.